Bert Williams - Vaudevillian

Unfinished History

Bert Williams, vaudevillian (1874-1922), first black to star in the Ziegfeld Follies.

Photo: SF Performing Arts Library and Museum

One of the first performers to attain Broadway celebrity and the first to star in the popular Ziegfeld Follies, singer/comedian Bert Williams was much loved by audiences and greatly respected by his colleagues. As a young man, Williams honed his skills in minstrel shows and variety clubs in San Francisco, where he met his partner, George Walker.